Antishock spring



Feb. 7, 1939. J. v RlCE, JR 2,145,891

ANTISHOCK SPRING Original Filed Jan. 28, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet l Original Filed Jan. 28, 1956 J. V. RICE, vJR ANTIsHooK SPRING 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 J. V. RICE, JR

ANTISHOCK SPRING Original Filed Jan. 28, 1936 L mw lll y lf/ M Il /f' 4 ff u @un W /f/. li ll 1 Wl -4 Sheets-Sheet 3 ATTORNEY Feb. 7, 1939. J, V RICE, `JR 2,145,891

ANTISHOCK SPRING Original Filed Jan. 28, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ATTORNEY v released ses. 1, was

vPATENT OFFICE 2.14am l aN'nsnocx srimw,` Jenn'v. mee, Jr., Phiisdebiiie, re.

Application January Il, Seial No. 61,190

, Renewed April n, 1938 'I'his invention relates to a yielding or elastic spring device for taking up and absorbing the shocks andejars incidental to the operation of such ymachines as automobiles and aircraft,

wherein a supported boiLv of considerable weight is transported with greatl speed sometimes over irregular surfaces, or is brought rapidly to earth in landings from the air, it being essential to make the running andthe stops with as little l0 agitation and jar as possible.

lWider aspects of the invention not only make it applicable to accomplish the safe and easy transport of passengers in rapid heavy conveyances, but also to the absorption ofy lighter shocks, as

15 occur in door-springs and checks, and similar small'mechanisms, operable with quick rebounds that would be apt to injure the parts if the shock were not elastically counteracted.

Another large eld of usefulness for the inven- 1 20 tion isfound in buffers, slackfcompensatorsand draw-heads of railway cars of all kinds, as well as with trackless trolleysl andA heavy motorbusses, where it is essential that the coupllngand bumping together of car units should be shielded from 25 too great ycrashes or shocks and made easy on the machines, and the passengers, and merchan- `dise carried. l

With these few suggested leading objects. of the invention, to which numerous others may be 3 added as `the pronounced usefulness yer the invention is recognized in various branches of mechanisms, it may be said that the invention consists essentially in the construction, arrangement and combination of parts, substantially as N win be hereinafter described end claimed.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my invention:

Figure 1 is a vertical section of a leading specimen of'my improved anti-shock spring.

,'Figu'e 2 is a similar vertical section showing I the parts inl another relative position which they assume in their-operation.

Figure 3 is another similar section showing the a parts in a still further change of relative position in the operation of the, device.

' Figure 4 is a vertical section of a modined forin of the invention, showing the use of two springs, instead of one, as in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

50 Figure 5 is a similar vertical section, showing the beveled rings that form the raeeways for the balls cut atl a different angle .from that used in the form of'. thedevice .in Figures 1` to 4.

e Figure 6 is a vertical section showing the' antiu shock mechanism arranged to utilize roller lnform of this shock absorber.

stead of ball bearings. and indicating a' dual spring pressure mechanism'.

'Figure 'l is a horizontal section on the line 1,1,of1'lgure 1. e,

Figure 8 is a horizontal sectoin on the line 5 l, l, of Figure 1. l f

Figure 9 is a horizontal section on the line I, l, of Figure 1.

Figure 10- is a horizontal section on the line i0, il, of Figure 6. 10 Figure 11 is a horizontal secstion on the line Il, ILOfFigure 6. I

-Similar characters of reference denote like parts throughout all the different ilgures of the drawings. 15 In explaining the chief features of my iml. proved anti-shock spring, its details, and their relation to each other and their operation, I have chosen to illustrate Athe same primarily in the i form of a shock-absorber for automobiles, giving 26 this as one important specimen or example of the invention, but without intending to limit the v same to this use. In any shock absorber, as is well-known, an elastic or shock resisting means is interposed between the axle or running gear of the car and the chassis or body, so that the jar or vibration of the running gear or its oscillation v and the shocks due to a rough or uneven roadway, may not be communicated to the car but may be absorbed or eliminated through and in 30 .the interposed elastic or flexible connections.-

In Figures 1, 2 and 3, I have delineated one l denotes an elongated lcylinder or casing of greater or less length and diameter, according to the dimensions appropriate to the particular use in view; and at a suitable point therein, say midway or thereabouts, is an integral horizontal inner ledge or shelf 2, having al central circular opening 3.

The upper end of the cylinder .i is lcovered with a screw cap 5 having a central opening t therein; and the lower end of cylinder l is closed by a screw cap il, having a suitable bracket or other outer construction 'to enable it to be securely bolted or fastened to the axle or some other part 45,

, of the running gear of an automobile, if the case is that of a shock-absorber. Thus the lower end of my spring device is rigidly aillxed to the axle, while the upper end by means of a member which A projects from the interior of cylndei l through top opening l is connected to a casting 1 or other suitable part on the car body, and in this way the spring or elastic medium is established between the car body and the lower running gear, so as to prevent shock and serious vibration from being gg communicated to the car body. That is to say,

vice resilient, and which includes a spring or 1 springs, ball bearings, raceways therefor, and a vertically-travelling double-conical spool or its equivalent which acts to move the balls sidewise and thus spread the raceway rings apart and compress the spring in an easy and gentle manner which makes the whole device elastic and yielding in any desired degree, and capable of handling any load with a powerful elastic effect. Studying this interior mechanism I mention the spiral or helical spring 22 which lies between the inside face of cap 5 and the upper ring I9 having beveled face I9a and central opening 2I. Ring I9 lies on ring 2l! having beveled face 28a. and central opening 2 Ia, which face 20a is opposite to beveled face I9a, and the latter ring 20 rests on the shelf or ledge 2. Thus the two rings and their beveled faces I9a and 20a constitute a raceway for a series of ballsl I8 that lie partly between the bevel or inclined faces I9a and 20a, in a circular series, and these balls are capable of being forced against the bevel faces, farther and farther in, the result of which movement of balls I8 is to separate the rings I9 and 20 from each other. In Figure 1 the rings I9 and 20 are in contact with each other; in Figures 2 and 3 they are separated from each other. Of course, since-the ring 20'rests on ledge 2, which resists any movement on the part of ring 20,- the ring I9 is the one that moves, and it moves upwardly corresponding to the inner horizontal travel of the balls I8, and the upward movement of ring I9 compresses the spring 22 to a greater or less extent, so that we here have forces acting and reacting, the balls acting to spread the rings and compress the spring, and the tension of the spring acting to resist the opening of the rings from each other and tending to force them `together and drive the balls back.

The agency which thus moves the balls I8 against the bevel faces of the rings, is avertically-traveling double conical spool, whose middle section 8 is the smallest in diameter, while its end sections 8a are larger in size and diameter and spread out gradually into cones with curved or straight sides, the bases of the cones being the ends of members 8a. When the device is normally at rest, as in Figure 1, with the rings I9 'and 20 in, contact with each other, the balls I8 will be in contact with a less portion of faces I9a and 20a than'at any other time, and at this time the balls will be also closely against the central narrow part 8 of the conical spool, it being noted that the balls are always in close, constant contact with some part of this actuating spool.

' The spool is now held by the balls in its central neutral or normal position, in which case the top conical part 8a lies within the spring 22, while the lower conical part 8a projects down through the opening 3 in ledge 2 into lower oil or air chamber 4.

The spool carries at its upper end an` integral rod I0, the end of which has thereon pins or journals 40 that enter openings in casting 1, so that there may be some sort of a loose or pivoted connection between the rod I0 and the supported uphold a normal weight when the movement of the car is even and regular, without any special shocks that require eliminations through spring compression and expansion. weight or shock in the car body is such as to depress the rod I0 and the spool to such an extent that the central narrow part 8 of lthe spool drops below the balls I8 and the upper wider conical section 8a is forced down between the balls, thus causing them to ride on the curved outer conical wall of upper member 8a, which forces the balls sidewise horizontally, farther and farther between the bevel faces I9a and 29a, in proportion to `the power exerted at the movement on the spool to depress the same and drive the balls between the rings, whereby the ring I9 is lifted and spring 22 is compressed. When the shock is thus absorbed by the action of the spring the parts will pass from the position taken in Figure 2 to the former neutralposition indicated in Figure 1,4 for In Figure 2. thel a jar may be absorbed or relieved the spool rises so .that its lower cone 8a instead of its upper cone 8a, is the agent for forcing the balls between the bevel faces of the rings and separating the rings and compressing the spring 22, so that the impact of the load on the spring may be absorbed without jar or any disturbing recoil. The action therefore of both the conical members of the spool on the ball bearings, the bevel rings and the spring, is exactly the same in both cases; as is clearly seen by comparing the position of the parts in Figure 2 with their position in Figure 2,

ythe device being thus double acting.

thus curved to secure good results. They may be straight as shown at 24, 24, in Figure 5, in which case the action against the balls will be less gradual and more direct and. positive and the neck 23 will be more acute and in some cases the straight lines may produce quicker and better results.

Also the conguration may be changed to other forms than these in exceptional instances for special reasons and results'.

In Figure 4, I show the use of two springs 22 and 22a instead of one. In this example the shelf 2 is omitted' and the two rings I9 and 28 are together supported between the two springs, the spring 22 bearing against ring I9, and the spring 22a bearing against the ring 20, so that the two rings bear against each other. In this modification the ledge 41 is preferably lower down in cylinder I' than the ledge 2 in Figure 1, and the lower spring 22a rests on ledge 41 with its bottom part surrounding the opening 48, through which projects amasar the bottom stem l46, and the bottom chamber 4 may obviously be somewhat smaller, although its' sizeand proportions may always vary greatly.

Obviously the angle of the bevel or inclination of the faces of the rings may vvary greatly with a corresponding change in the action of the balls against these faces. Thus the faces I6a and 26a, in Figures l, 2, 3, and,4 are cut at anfangle of about, say, in Figure 5 theiaces 43 and 45 of rings 42 and 44 are cut tol an angle of, say, 45 degrees; but

these, inclinations may be changed as desired and.

others substituted for them, and the results in the dierences inthe elastic action of the device may readily be calculated and may be adjusted to the solution of many din'erent problems in shock elimination arising from the character ofthe vehicle, the load', the roadway, speed, traiiic conditionsf'and other'collateral conditions.

t'l'he rolling devices that act to spread the beveled rings may be balls that are completely spherfical, as vshown in "Figure 8, or they may be substantially round or spherical, or they may be in the form of rollers, of greater or less length and diameter, an example of which is shown at 34 in Figure 6. The alternative specimen in this Figure employs abox 21 in lieu of the ,cylinder I,

which box is wide in one direction and narrow in another and is integral with a cylindrical extension 36 that contains the chamber 4.-' The box 21 has av central top opening 3|, through, which projects the rod 32, whose upper end has journals 46 entering the casting 3,3 attached to the body of a vehicle or conveyance. Within the box 21 and resting on the bottom thereof is a pair of lower plates or blocks 35 and 36,I each being spaced from its companion fa short distance to leav`an opening, above the opening into the upper end of the cylindrical extension 39, as shown in Figures 6 and 1l, the lower .plates being plates 36 which have inclined faces 5I, and the upper plates being plates 35 which have inclined faces Il lying opposite to faces 5I so that in the wedges or V-spaces formed by these faces' the rollers 34 may lie and travel laterally tol open the wedges and separate the plates when the spool device acts .against said rollers. Further the upper plates 35 are formed at the end with upward pro- 'jections 31 that lie against the inner'ends of the box andslide thereon as guides when the blocks or, plates 35 are lifted. Springs 36 are tensioned between' the blocks or plates 35 and the inner top side of box'21 tohold the-said blocks- -35 closely on top of blocks 36, and the tension of springs 36 55 is overcome when the rollers are forced laterally farther and farther into the wedging openings so as to lift the top blo'cks 35 off the lower blocks 36. lThe spool device 'in this modified form of my invention is preferably of a generally rectangular form, .two sides being fiat and parallel, while the other two sides are curved to be in actuating contact with the rollers. Thus the middle portion 26 of the spool device is the smallest in cross-section while the larger and heavier end members 26 have square bases, as in Figure' l0,` and have the pair of curved sides that act against the rollers in the Asame 'way that the curved-side conical less and compress the springs,

members 6a act against theballs I I inthe other form ofthe invention already described. This rectangular spool device has a vertical travel in Y the voperation of the mechanismV` shocks and acts to separate the for preventing blocks more or the tension, of which expands them again as soonas conditions change in a cycle or routinefof actions quite sim- 30 degrees to the horizontal: \while 3 llar to the opera on of the spool and balls in the form of ball m hanism already described.

The different forms\of the spool device not only have an upwardly extending rod, as III, or 25, or 32, .which is fastened to the car body, or other upperelement, but also they have at the lower end a downwardly extending stem or rod, as 9, or 26, or 46, or 4I. This bottom stem is secured to a piston II, preferably of a thin type, which ts into the inside of the cylinder I and is designed to travel up and down in the chamber 4, that is filled as full as may be desired with oil, air, or other fiuidor liquid. vThe connection of Ystern 9 with piston II may be made in any convenient way; as for example by forming a reduced and shouldered end 52 on stem 9 which will fit into a -central opening in pistoni I. The piston II has a threaded opening therein which is engaged by the shank 54 of a headed screw I4, on which is a shoulder 53 which yfits closely against the under side of piston II when'the screw I4 is tightly screwed into end 52 of` stem 9, whereby the piston II is securely fastened to stem 9 and travels up and down in 'chamber 4 as the'spool is actuated up and down. On the shoulder 53 is a valve plate I3 having a central opening that receives the shoulder 53, and this valve is loose-enough on the shoulder to allow it a range of movement relative to the pistoni as the piston moves up or down. this movementbeing towards and away from the opposite surface ofthe piston II, in lwhich is a series of orifices onfopenin'gs I2 that pass through the width of piston I I and allow oil to pass or repass, accordingly as the openingsvv I2 f are opened or closed by the piston rises the valve I3 obviously drops and opens passages I2 so that oil or other liquid or fluid may pass down through said openings from *the chamber above the piston II to the chamber below it. 4When the piston II descends, the valve II being in contact with the liquidor pressure beneath it, will rise and close 'the passages I2 so that the oil or pressure beneath )will notrise up through the piston to the space above it.

In order to better regulate the `i'iojlv through the piston and control and adjust the same I provide thepiston II lwith an additional angular by-pass lpassage I5, in which is a small screw valve I6, having an inner valvepoint which works as a. valve seat, so that a delicate adjustment is possible, and a certain amount-of oil or pressure, more or less, is allowedto pass even when the main vve I3 is closed, this regulation by the use of a additional auzdliary-valvebeing quite essential to the most emcient'peration of the device.

Therefore, 'the chamber 4, which is really divided into two spaces by the piston II, acting as a diaphragm, is provided with a quantity of oil, or lubricant, or some other liquid or fluid, even air at` times serving the purpose. This liquid or fluid passes through the piston as stated and occupies the spaces above and below the piston, andsplashes as-a lubricant upward through the opening 3, so as to lubricat the spring, the rings and the ball or roller bearings, to promote the smooth and easy operation of `all the parts. Also such a volume of fluid or liquid pressure stabilizes the movement of the device and enables the operation to be quicker and smoother.

Attention ymust/particularly be called to the function of this device in taking care. of lateralv strains and shocks aswell as vertical movements.

At many times the effect of a shock is to produce an up and down vertical movement of the spool,

so that it travelsfin a line along the central axis u 4 of thevcylinder I,for example. ever avast number of strains, such 4There are howas many road shocksf in the running ofan automobile, particu-l larly in rapidly rounding a corner, or in quick deviations from a straight course, where there vis a severe shock as the car swerves over to one side or the other. This causes the from its normal position to one side or the other,

as shown by the inclined dotted lines 55 andfSB' in Figure 1 said lines running down to the center of screw 54 or the center of the piston I I, which partakes' but slightly of such a movement, being tipped only a little up or down from its horizontal position. Such slight change offlevel of piston Il as does occur is provided for by having the outer periphery of piston il slightly rounded, as shown. Now the yielding support of the spool in the spring and ball or rollerA bearing permits -the side deflection to occur in this lateral movement, and there is a powerful elastic resistance to suchva movement caused by the relation of the parts. The fact that my combination of spring, spool, and ball bearing makes it possible to withstand and absorb lateral strain and shocks as well Aas direct' vertical shocks is a most important feature of my invention.

l`From the foregoing complete description of the construction and operation of the details of mech- The relative sizes and proportions of all the,

mechanical features can be calculated to meet the requirements of any size of load, large or small.

modify the details, within wide annexed claims, in order to flt the device for any coming shock and promoting an easy movement.

Further, the readjustment of the details may be necessary to adapt the device for use in counteracting shock or vibration in various other combinations, such as door checks, buffers, bumpers, car drawbars, drawheads, and a great variety of other devices, where it is necessary to utilize resilient or elastic means to perfect the smooth operation or running of the same, must all be included within the scope of the idea underlying my invention. I therefore claim the right to limits under the use to which it may be legitimately put .in over- What I claim, is:

1.-In a shock absorbing device of the class described, the combination with a casing, of `a cone shaped spool, a pair of beveled-members, adjoining the spool, rolling means 'engaging said members and surrounding the spool, said rolling means .being actuated horizontally by the spool in its vertical movement up or down to urge the beveled members apart, and a spring acting against thev beveled members and 'tending to press them together, whereby shock in mechanism with which the device is' used may be absorbed.

2.1In a shock absorber of the' class described,

the combination with a casing,v an element to which it is attached rigidly, a second element, exible means'in the casing and connecting the vcasing .to said .second element, so that a shock originating in one element may be absorbed in the flexible means and not be communicated to spool to deflectv :arrancar the other element, said flexible means consisting said Vsecond element, bevel pieces whose opposing faces offer a wedge shaped space between them,

travel actuates the rolling means inthe wedge i lll space to separate the beveled pieces.

3. In a shock absorber of the class described, the combination with a cylindrical casing, an element to which it is attached rigidly, a second .element carried on the shock device, exible means in the casing and connecting the casingV to said second element, so that a shock originat- .ing in one element may be absorbed in the flex# ible means and not be communicated to the other element, said flexible means consisting of a double conical spool having a stem connected to ysaid second element, bevel rings surrounding the spool, rolling devices between the rings and around the spool, said devices being forced against the bevel rings by the conical sides of the spool in its movement so as to spread the rings apart,

and a spiral spring surrounding the spool and tensioned against the rings and acting to urge the rings into contact with each other.

4. In a shock absorber of the class described, the combination-with a casing, of an inclinefaced spool, beveled rings surrounds the spool, rolling means around the spool and adapted to be forced by the inclined face of the spool laterf of a conical member having a stem connected to ing the spool and tensioned against'the rings to urge them together, and a piston carried by the y lower end of the spooland operating in a fluid or liquid chamber in the lower part of the casing, to assist the regular movement of the shock absorbing devices. a

5. In a shock absorber of the class described, the combination with a casing, of an incline-faced spool, bevel rings surrounding the spool, rollingf means around the spool and adapted to be forced by the inclinedface of the spool laterally between the beveled rings, a spiral spring surrounding the spool and tensioned against the rings to urge the rings together and a piston carried by the lower end of the spool and operating in a fluid or liquid chamber in the casing, said piston having a series of openings, a valve on the piston controlling said openings, said piston having also a by-pass and a valve controlling the latter and adjustable in reference thereto.

6. In a shock absorber-of the class described, the combination with a casing, of means vadapted to attach it rigidly to one of a'pair of elements `'between which 'the shock absorber is located to prevent shocks from being communicated from one element to the other,l andiexible means in the casing for connecting the casing to the sec- /ond element of the pair., said flexible means consisting of a'spool member having inclined sides,

beveled rings whose opposing faces offer a wedge- .shaped raceway, rolling devices in said raceway and in contact with the spool, and a spring pressing against the rings and acting to urge them u rame beveuedrings in the preventthe communication of shocks from one element to the other, flexible means in casing for resiliently connecting the casing to the second element of the pair, said ilexible means consisting s of a spool member Shaped as a double cone, beveled rings that formv a raceway between them, rolling devices in the raceway and in contact with the spool, a spring pressing against the rings to urge them together while the spool in its vertical travels actuates the yrolling means to separate the rings, said spool resisting against shocks that strain itaxially and laterally, and a valve-provided piston carried by the lower end of the spool and operating in an interior uid chamber in the casing 8. In a shock absorber of the class described, the combination with a casing, oi' means for attaching it to one element rigidly, and resilient means for attaching it toA another element, so that go shocks originating in either element may not be transmitted to the other, said resilient means consisting of a rod member attached to the second element and having a double-conical curved-sided spool section, a spring-pressed raceway of sepacasing in which rings the spool lies, rolling devices in the raceway on which devices the spool section of the said rod travels to laterally move the rolling devices and open the raceway against spring pressure.

9. In a shock'absorber'of the class described, the combination with a casing, oi' means for attaching it rigidly to one element, and resilient means for attaching it to another'element, so that shocks in one element may `be absorbed without reaching the other, said resilient means consisting of a double-conical curved-sided spool having an extension adapted to be connected to the second element, a pair of beveled rings in which the spool lies, balls between the beveled facesof the rings and in contact with the spool,

one ring being stationary and -one movable, and a spring tensioned against the movable ring and adapted to be overcome by the movement of the balls under the travel of the spool. .f

l0. In a shock absorber of the claas described. the combination with a casing havinga iluid or liquid chamber in the lower end thereof, of resilient means for connecting it with other means to prevent the latter from receiving shocks. said resilient means consisting of a double conical spool having an upper extension adapted to be connected with the aforesaid other means, a pair oi beveled rings in which the spool lies and which provide a raceway, balls in the raceway and in contact with the spool, a spring tensioned against the rings, and a valve-provided piston attached to t the lower end of the spool and working in the fluid or liquid-chamber of the casing, said piston having a series of opening controlled by the automatic opening and closing of the valve.

JOHN V. RICE, JR. 

